CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

The last time that I spoke here at Montréal’s Notre-Dame Basilica was 24 years ago, at my father’s funeral. 

So, naturally, today, my thoughts are with Brian’s children: Ben, Mark, Nicolas, and Caroline, who just delivered a very touching eulogy. 

To everyone, Brian Mulroney was “Prime Minister”, but for you, he was “dad”.

And of course, for Mila, he was a husband, a confidant and an unwavering partner. 

Brian once quipped that, at l’Université Laval, there was no “PM 101” class to prepare him for his future role.

Although, after he left politics, if such a class existed, he would have been the ideal person to teach it.

One of his first lessons would be that winning is important, and it’s ok to enjoy it. 

However, winning for winning’s sake cannot be the only endgame. 

First and foremost, Brian was motivated by service. 

He was motivated by leadership, by getting the big things right. 

Big things like free trade: fighting to raise the standard of living for Canadians, and for millions of people, first through the Canada-US FTA, and then through NAFTA.

Big things like standing up against apartheid in South Africa.

As a great persuader, Brian leveraged Canada’s position in the Commonwealth to lead efforts that helped free Nelson Mandela.

Brian also accomplished great things for the environment, including fighting acid rain and repairing the hole in the ozone layer. 

Repairing the ozone layer… 

That showed that for Brian, the sky was not the limit: he led us with the ambition necessary to actually fix the sky. 

Yes, he had a grand vision, but the little guy from Baie-Comeau knew how to keep both feet on the ground.

Whether it was doing long shifts as a worker or truck driver to pay for his studies, or negotiating a free trade agreement with the world’s most powerful nation, he always worked just as hard.   

Of course, of all the great things he accomplished, none brought him more pride and joy than the loving family he built with Mila, rooted in values of hard work, gratitude, and resilience. 

Resilience being particularly important… 

Because, as his opponents knew well, Brian was never afraid to take on a fight even though he knew that there would be criticisms and attacks that stung. 

His family saw that up close. But as he put it himself:

“Leaders must have vision and they must find the courage to fight for the policies that will give that vision life. Leaders must govern not for easy headlines in 10 days but for a better Canada in 10 years.”

And even when times got tough, Brian always stayed generous, charming, and very funny.

He once shared a story about the time he offered comfort to Ronald Reagan who was enduring a decline in his approval ratings, by saying: 

“Ron, I don’t know how to break this to you, but Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl and I combined don’t have [your] 59 per cent approval rating!”

We all know how Brian loved to win, yet his most cherished victories were non-partisan – those moments when the true winner was Canada itself. 

Because he loved this country with all his heart. 

And he didn’t just love Canada in the abstract sense, he loved Canadians. 

He loved hearing their stories. 

He loved connecting with people. 

He was incredibly generous with everyone. 

In fact, while we were reminiscing this past week, my mom shared with me that he had reached out to her occasionally over the decades to have friendly, heartfelt conversations. 

I had had no idea, but wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Because this authenticity, in his many conversations with me, and in his advice to me, is something I always deeply valued. 

Brian often advised me as we were renegotiating NAFTA, in times of great uncertainty.

In the middle of a particularly difficult week, he encouraged me to stay the course. 

I can still hear him saying to me on the telephone: “Justin, remember what your father used to say: it’s at the end of the night that we recognize the best dancers.” 

It was a lesson in discipline, determination, and perseverance.

Today is the end of the evening for a giant. 

But we will always remember that, as a great dancer and choreographer, he led the way for future generations. 

It’s the end of the evening for a giant, but the music continues. 

In his memory, it’s up to all of us, each in our own way, to pursue the work towards an even more ambitious and an even better Canada. 

Thank you.